The controversy over a crash in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district has intensified, with BJP’s Pritam Lodhi openly confronting the police and challenging their handling of the case involving his son.
In a sharp reaction to the alleged remarks made by a local police officer, Lodhi said he found the SDOP’s comments unacceptable. He questioned the officer’s authority over the area, asking if Carrera “belongs to your father.”
The video of Lodhi, the BJP MLA from Pichhore, went viral on Monday, two days after police paraded Dinesh Lodhi to the station from the accident site. On April 16, Dinesh allegedly hit five people with his Thar SUV. During the event, SDOP Ayush Jakhar reportedly warned him: “Never let me see you in Carrera again.”
Lodhi went on to assert that his son would return to the district and contest the elections from there, challenging that if the officer’s “father has guts”, he should try to stop him.
However, SDOP Jakhar maintained that he did not say anything illegal.
Warning about ‘biased’ investigation
The BJP leader also issued a warning over the ongoing investigation. He warned the police against what he described as false allegations or unjustified pressure.
Lodhi said officials should “look at our history” before acting unfairly. He warned that if the investigation becomes biased, there will be consequences and an “appropriate response.”
He also asked the officers to stay within their legal limits, adding that he too understands the law and expects them to act accordingly.
Meanwhile, Lodhi sought to downplay the seriousness of the incident, noting that it had been exaggerated “as Congress does”.
He claimed that in many past incidents, even preliminary investigations were not conducted.
After this video, Lodhi explained, “We asked the SP to register a case, which was done. When we asked to send the car, we complied. When we asked to send my son, we did so. But the observations made by the SDOP are unacceptable.”
What happened in the accident?
The accident took place around 7:30 pm on Thursday, when the Mahindra Thar, driven by Dinesh Lodhi, Lodhi’s son, hit several people.
According to police, the SUV first rammed a motorcycle from behind, injuring three friends – Sanjay Parihar, Ashish Parihar and Anshul Parihar – who were heading towards Dhanra village.
Moments later, the car hit two pedestrians, Sita Verma and Pooja Soni, who were walking on the same side of the road.
Sanjay Parihar was seriously injured and he, along with two others, was taken to the hospital by passers-by.
Based on the statements of the victims, the police said that the SUV was marked “MLA” and was driven by Dinesh Lodhi.
A case has been registered against him under Section 281 (rash and negligent driving endangering life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the investigation is currently underway.
